Labornet Japan is a network of citizens, unionists, activists, scholars and others from all walks of life to share information especially about rights and struggles in and outside of Japan. Established in 2001, the group now has more than 500 members, and the membership is growing. The English site introduces some reports shared on Labornet Japan website and other sources outside of Japan.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Defend freedom of broadcasting from unjustified political pressure! : Statement by the Japan Federation of Commercial Broadcast Workers' Unions

The Liberal Democratic Party, Japan’s major party, continues to
intervene in TV programs. On April 17, 2015, the party’s Research Commission on
Info-Communications Strategy summoned executives of NHK (Japan Broadcasting
Corporation, a public TV station) and TV Asahi over their programs. Such a
high-handed stance of the major party, using its broadcast licensing authority,
is unjustified political pressure on the media and is absolutely unacceptable. The
party even referred to the possibility of closure of transmission, and this is
nothing other than intimidation. Since 2014, the LDP has repeatedly intervened
in broadcast programs by issuing notices to the media, but this is definitely
an illegal act that obviously violates Article 3 of the Broadcast Act , which
guarantees “freedom to edit broadcast programs”. “Fair broadcasting” is
supposed to be judged by broadcasters themselves, not unilaterally by the
government.